The present invention relates to the building industry.
Primarily the invention relates to building structures which are formed using concrete.
A typical method for constructing a building requires formwork to be provided in the shape of a wall and so as to allow concrete to be poured between the panels of the formwork and allow the concrete to set and thus form a wall.
As an example, formwork to construct a wall involves providing a number of rows of upright steel reinforcing rods which extend from a base support structure, connecting horizontal steel rods to the upright rods to form a channel between adjacent upright rods of each row and then connecting forming panel work such as plywood to the reinforcing rods so that side walls to the channel are provided and to enable concrete to be poured into the channel. When the concrete has set the formwork is removed thus providing a concrete wall.
Although the method described above for constructing a wall would appear to be relatively straight forward, complications arise in providing accurately dimensioned structures. Thus the width of a wall constructed using the above method can vary depending upon the accuracy of the location of reinforcing rods and panel formwork. In general all components required during construction of formwork must be accurately measured in order to achieve the desired dimensions of the finished structure.
In addition to the above whenever structures which include irregularities are required much care and attention must be taken in constructing the formwork for this applications. Thus a wall which requires a bevelled end face or curves or lintels generally increases the labour required in constructing the desired formwork.
The present invention provides an alternative to the conventional methods for constructing structures as described above.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a frame unit for use in construction formwork comprising a plurality of frame components including first and second frame components and connection means for connecting frame components together to form an assembled frame; wherein a plurality of frame units are arranged to be assembled to form formwork for a wall.
Preferably the frame unit includes reinforcing means for strengthening a wall foraged using the frame unit.
The first frame component may comprise a first wall section.
Preferably the second frame component comprises a second wall section.
Each frame component may comprise an elongate member.
Preferably each elongate member is configured to form a continuous loop of a predetermined shape.
The predetermined shape may be rectangular, square, triangular or any other shape required to form a structure.
Each elongate member may be configured to form a wall frame.
Each frame component may be assembled to form a unit having side and end walls.
Preferably the first frame component forms a side wall of the assembled frame.
The second frame component may form an end wall of the assembled frame.
Preferably the assembled unit comprises two first frame components and two second frame components.
Preferably the frame unit is in the form of a skeletal frame of a building block.
It is preferred that the reinforcing means includes a plurality of elongate elements.
The reinforcing means may include a plurality of elongate elements connected to form a grid pattern.
The frame components may be assembled with at least part or the reinforcing means extending therethrough.
It is preferred that the reinforcing means is a planar mesh formed from crossing elongate elements.
The frame components may be assembled with the reinforcing means located between side wall frame components and extending upwardly and downwardly therebetween.
The reinforcing means may comprise vertical and horizontal rods welded to form a mesh.
Preferably the reinforcing means comprises a plurality of metal grids.
The metal grids are preferably arranged in parallel with predetermined spacing therebetween.
It is preferred that the end wall frame components are arranged to abut with respective upright elongate elements of the reinforcing means.
The end wall frame components may be arranged to abut with respective horizontal elongate elements of the reinforcing means.
According to one embodiment frame components of the frame unit are angled with respect to a vertical plane.
It is preferred that the connection means comprises an elongate connection member and at least one fastening means for connecting frame components thereto.
It is preferred that the connection means interconnects two frame components.
The connection means may comprise a plurality of elongate connection members each adapted to be connected to a plurality of frame components with the fastening means.
It is preferred that each elongate connection member extends between adjacent corners of frame components.
The mesh may be connected to frame components.
It is preferred that the elongate connection members comprise horizontal rods which are arranged to run in parallel with the top and bottom horizontal parts of the end frame components.
Preferably the elongate connection members are connected by clips to the corners of the frame unit.
The clips may be spring clips.
It is preferred that the ends of the elongate connection members extend beyond the corners of the frame unit.
The fastening means may include wire which is used to connect the elongate connection members to the frame unit. Alternatively the fastening means may be an adhesive or fibreglass or any other suitable means for fastening the elongate connection members to the frame unit.
According to one embodiment the frame unit is assembled to form a cage.
According to another embodiment the elongate connection members have threaded ends which are arranged to receive threaded nuts.
The elongate connection members may include removable retainers located at each end.
The elongate connection members may include spacers which are receivable thereon.
The elongate connection members may be arranged to be connected to the mesh of the reinforcing means.
According to another embodiment the elongate connection members comprise round hollow plastic tubes through which a metal bolt can be placed.
According to another embodiment the frame unit includes a plurality of panels adapted to be connected to the assembled frame.
Each panel may have a predetermined shape.
Each panel may comprise openings for receipt of ends of the elongate connection members.
Preferably each panel comprises coupling means for coupling adjacent panels together.
The panels preferably comprise openings through major faces thereof.
The coupling means may be male of female portions which are adapted to couple with matching male or female portions of another frame unit.
It is preferred that the male or female portions consist of holes and spigots, or alternatively channels and spigots.
The panels may form side walls of the frame unit.
Ends of the elongate connection members may be secured by attachment means such as nuts and clips to the panels.
At least one hole is provided through each panel and an attachment means is arranged to be located at the end of the elongate connection members to secure each panel to the frame unit.
Each coupling portion is preferably located on an edge face of the panel.
The panels may be plastic, plywood, steel or cardboard.
According to one embodiment the panels are made of cardboard and have flaps which are arranged to be connected to flaps of other panels in lieu of a coupling means.
It is preferred that the panels are removable and/or reusable.
The coupling means preferably provides rigidity to a plurality of assembled frame units.
It is preferred that spacers for the elongate connection members are used to separate the panels from adjacent frame components.
It is preferred that end portions of the reinforcing means extend into adjacent frame units so as to overlap end portions of reinforcing means of other frame units.
It is preferred that a plurality of reinforcing means are provided for each frame unit.
Where there is a plurality of reinforcing means it is preferred that these are arranged in a parallel layered arrangement.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a method of constructing formwork for a building structure comprising the steps of forming a frame unit by connecting a plurality of frame components together using a connection means to form an assembled frame with openings to allow for entry of a settable substance, providing a reinforcing means and connecting the reinforcing means to the frame unit and connecting panels to the frame unit to form a module which is movable to be connected to another module.
Preferably each module comprises coupling means for enabling modules to be coupled together.
It is preferred that the step of connecting the plurality of frame components together includes connecting elongate members across adjacent frame components.
The step of connecting the plurality of frame components together preferably includes providing a plurality of frame components of a predetermined shape and arranging the frame components to form a frame of a predetermined shaped.
It is preferred that the frame unit has a three dimensional shape.
Preferably each frame component comprises a loop of steel.
The frame component may be a hoop component.
The frame component may be annular.
It is preferred that the frame component comprises an elongate element configured to a predetermined shape.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a panel having major faces and edge faces with openings through the major faces adapted to receive ends of elongate members and coupling means for coupling panels together.
It is preferred that the coupling means are located on the edge faces.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a system for constructing a building structure including a plurality of modules each including a frame component.